Thread canister



March 24., 1970 HARDY-THE McL lN 3,502,281

THREAD CANISTER Filed April 12, 1968 P/YO'S Patent 3,502,281 THREAD CANISTER Philippe Hardy-Th McLain, Columbia, S.C., assignor to 800 Valley Company, Columbia, S.C., a corporation of South Carolina Filed Apr. 12, 1968, Ser. No. 720,983 Int. Cl. B65h 49/18 US. Cl. 242-137.1 13 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The base of the canister is configured to have a pair of sockets to receive dilferent sized spools. The received spool flange forms a substantially continuous surface with the base surface so that a coil of thread is prevented from becoming caught between the spool flange and base during unwinding from the canister.

This invention relates to a thread canister. More particularly this invention relates to a canister for housing a spool of thread and for permitting unwinding of the thread from a spool therein.

Thread canisters for spools of thread have been known wherein a spool is supported within the canister in a fixed manner so that thread can be unwound from the spool through the canister without turning of the spool. Frequently, the spools have been mounted in such canisters in an upstanding manner so that the thread unwound from the spools can be led out of a hole in the top of the canisters. This reduces the possibility of the thread becoming tangled or backlashing. However, since the spools on which the thread is initially wound have end flanges which project radially outwardly of the spool axis, the flanges sometimes interfere with the unwinding of the thread from 3 the spool and canisters. This is, during unwinding, the thread frequently becomes slack with a resultant coil of thread dropping to the bottom of the canister. Thereafter, when the thread coil is subsequently tightened, the thread coil in many instances becomes trapped under the lower spool flange thereby causing such problems as, for example, snagging, knotting, etc.

In order to overcome the problems caused by a thread coil becoming trapped under the lower spool flange, discs of material such as sponge plastic have been placed between the bottom of a thread canister and a lower spool flange. Such discs, usually, have filled the entire diameter of the canister bottom. Also, in order to mount the spools in a stationary manner with respect to the canister, plugs have been required to mount the spools in the canisters. These plugs have generally been inserted in the spool bore through a hole in the canister bottom. However, these such canister constructions have required additional components which have added to the cost of the canisters and which have made such constructions cumbersome to use. Additionally, the problems which are to be overcome by such constructions have not been satisfactorily overcome as a possibility still exists that a thread coil can become trapped under the lower spool flange between the lower flange and disc. Further, the plugs which have been inserted through a hole in the canister bottom to fix the spools in place have been subject to the risk of Working loose from their securement in the canister during use. Thus, the spools may be allowed to rotate during unwinding of the thread as well as to become spaced from the discs so that a coil of thread can still be trapped under the lower flange of the spool.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to prevent a coil of thread from becoming trapped under a spool flange within a thread canister.

It is another object of the invention to mount a spool of thread in a thread canister in a fixed manner.

3,502,281 Patented Mar. 24, 1970 ice It is another object of the invention to provide a thread canister which is capable of mounting different sized spools therein.

Briefly, the invention provides a thread canister which is constructed to fixedly mount a spool of thread therein in a simple reliable manner such that the thread is prevented from falling under the spool and becoming trapped during unwinding of the thread from the spool. The thread canister has a base which is constructed to receive and hold a spool in a fixed upright position wherein the spool is prevented from rotating relative to the base. To this end, the base is formed with a centrally located upstanding stud which is dimensioned to fit within a central bore of the spool and which is adapted to be secured to the spool in fixed relation. The thread canister also has a housing which is constructed to be mounted about the upstanding spool in spaced relation to the spool and which is formed with a thread guide opening at the top to permit withdrawal of the thread from within the canister upon unwinding from the spool.

In addition, the base of the canister is formed with a recessed socket which is sized to receive the lower flange of the spool such that the inside surfaces of the flange form a substantially continuous surface with the adjacent surfaces of the base surrounding the socket. This presents a substantially smooth continuous surface so that, in the event that a coil of thread should fall to the bottom of the canister, the thread will not become trapped between the base and the flange. Thread can therefore be unwound from the spool and drawn out of the canister in a smooth manner without tangling, knotting or otherwise becoming caught within the canister.

The base of the canister can be contoured to have a number of annular sockets or recesses of different diameters so as to receive different sizes of spools. Also, the canister can be made in various manners to enclose a spool of thread therein. In one embodiment, the canister is formed with a one piece housing and a base which is removably secured to the housing by a bayonet connection or other suitable type of securement. In another embodiment, the canister is formed with a two piece housing, one piece having an integral contoured base, as above, forming the bottom portion of the canister While the other housing piece forms the upper portion of the canister and is frictionally engaged over the bottom portion.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description and appended claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a thread canister of the invention with a spool of thread in place;

FIG. 2 illustrates a view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a modified thread canister of the invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the thread canister 3 is constructed of a base 4 and a separable housing 5 which is mounted on the base 4 so as to form a canister unit which can be easily transported and handled. The housing 5 is removably mounted on the base 4 by means of, for example, a bayonet-type connection wherein a plurality of external shoulders 6 on the bottom of the housing 5 are rotated into position under a similar number of tabs 7 on the base 4. Alternatively, the housing 5 can be screw threaded on the base 4.

The base 5 which is made of any suitable material, such as a plastic, is contoured or molded to have a pair of concentric sockets 8, 8' within the confines of the housing 5 to receive a spool 9, for example, of plastic material, in upstanding relation in spaced relation to the walls of the housing 5. The socket 8, 8' which are formed in the base, for example, during a molding operation, can

either be disposed in different planes to permit the reception of a spool in the larger socket 8 without interference from the smaller socket 8' or can be contoured as shown to receive a depending annular lip of a spool without interfering with each other. In addition, the base 4 is integrally provided with a hollow upstanding stud 10 at the center in concentric relation to the sockets 8, 8. This stud 10 which can also be formed by molding is sized to fit within a bore 11 of the spool 9 in a manner to prevent the spool 9 from rotating relative to the base 4. To this end, the stud 10 which can be slightly tapered is dimensioned to fit into the bore 11 with a close tolerance and is coated with a suitable adhesive for bonding or cementing the wall of the bore 11 to the surface of the stud 10. Alternatively, the stud 10 can be dimensioned relative to the bore 11 so as to removably secure the spool 9 to the base as by being dimensioned for press-fitting in the bore. Also, the said and bore 11 can be provided with suitable threads for a threaded engagement.

The bottom of the base 4 is provided with a flat peripheral surface 12 and a coplanar flat central surface 13 for seating the thread canister 3 on a support (not shown).

The housing 5 is of a generally cylindrical shape with a domed top and is formed of any suitable material such as metal, plastic or glass. The domed top includes a centrally disposed upstanding chamber 14 defined by a plurality of spaced apart vertical columns 15 which has a thread guide opening 16 for passage of a thread 17 such as a nylon sewing thread from the spool 9. A block 18 of material such as polyurethane foam or foam rubber is mounted in the chamber 14 to act as a tension device. The block 18 allows passage of the thread 17 in a known manner while holding a piece of the thread outside of the canister 3 for subsequent unwinding of the remainder of the thread in the canister 3. The housing 5 is received on the base 4 to enclose the spool 9 within the canister unit and, after initial passage of the thread 17 through the block 18, as by use of a needle, to permit unwinding of the thread 17 from the spool 9 out of the guide opening 16.

In use, a spool 9 having a pair of annular end flanges 19, 20 between which the thread 17 is wound is mounted in upright manner in spaced relation to the housing walls. The lower part of the spool 9 is rigidly bonded to the stud 10 on the base 4 as described above so that the spool is held against rotation relative to the base 4. Further, the lower flange 19 of the spool 9 is sized of a diameter and thickness to be snugly received in the outer socket 8 of the base so that the inside, or upper, surface of the flange 19 forms a substantially continuous surface (FIG. 1) with the surface of the base surrounding the socket 8. The relative dimensions of the flange 19 and socket 8 are such that should a coil of the thread 17 fall to the bottom of the canister, that the coil will not become trapped under the flange 19 or between the flange 19 and base 4.

In order to withdraw the thread 17 from the canister 3 once the leading end of the thread 17 has been led through the guide opening 16 in the top of the canister 3, the end of the thread 17 outside the canister is pulled. This causes the thread on the spool 9 inside the canister 3 to unwind and move through the guide opening 16.

Referring to FIG. 3, a modified thread canister 21 has a housing formed by two pieces 22, 23 which is used to enclose an upright spool 9 of thread 17 in spaced relation. The lower piece 22 of the housing is integrally formed with a contoured base 24 which is configured to have a pair of concentric annular sockets, or recesses, 25, 26 which are dimensioned to receive spools of different diameters in a manner as described above to prevent trapping of a coil of thread under the flange 19 or between the flange 19 and base 24. The bottom surface of the base 24 is flat so as to facilitate seating of the thread canister 21 on a support (not shown). In addition, the base 24 has an integral hollow cylindrical upstanding stud at the center, as described above, for mounting of 4 the spool 9 in the canister 21. As above, the stud 25 fits into the bore 11 of the spool 9 when the spool is initially mounted in the lower piece 22 of the canister housing.

The upper piece 23 of the housing is frictionally mounted over the lower piece 22 in order to form the housing unit. The upper piece further has a thread guide opening 27 at the top of the housing through which the tread 17 is led out of the housing upon unwinding from the spool 9. A block of material 28 similar to that described above is mounted within an integral cup 29, as by gluing, at the top of upper piece 23 for similar purposes as above. Alternatively, the block of material 28 can be mounted as by gluing to the top of the upper piece over the thread guide opening 27 without the support of the cup 29.

In order to mount the spool 9 in the thread canister 21, the pieces 22, 23 are separated. Next, with a suitable bonding agent on the stud surface, the spool is fitted over the stud 25 and pushed down into the outer socket 26 with a slight force until it bottoms. After bonding, the spool becomes fixed in place against rotation or pulling out under the forces usually encountered in use. Thereafter, the loose end of the thread 17 is passed through the guide opening 27 and block of material 28 and the upper housing piece 23 is fitted over the bottom piece 22 to enclose the spool 9. The thread canister 21 can then be transported from place to place.

It is noted that the above described thread canisters 3, 21 both have a pair of sockets for receiving spools of different diameters. Thus, the thread canisters have greater use than canisters which have hitherto been constructed to contain only one size of spool. Further, the sockets of both canisters have depths which are sized with respect to the thicknesses of the received spool flanges so that the inside surfaces of the flanges are coextensive with the surrounding surfaces of the base (see FIG. 2) or slightly above the surrounding base surfaces (see FIG. 1). In either case the flanges are circumferentially received in a close relation so that a coil of thread is prevented from becoming trapped between the flange and base during unwinding of the thread from a spool.

It is noted that in the embodiment of the invention wherein the spool is fixedly secured to the stud on a separable base, after the thread has been drawn from the canister, the housing can be removed and placed over a fresh spool of thread mounted on another base. This is of advantage especially in those instances where the tension of the thread deforms the spool to such an extent that the spool cannot be used again. Further, this allows a single housing to be used with a number of bases to which spools have been previously mounted and thereby allows a reduction to be made in the costs of shipping and supplying the entire assembly of a thread canister to a consumer.

The thread canisters of the invention are simple to construct and to use as well as being capable of being made of inexpensive materials.

Having thus described the invention it is not intended that it be so limited as changes may be readily made therein without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the subject matter described above and shown in the drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A thread canister for mounting a flanged spool of thread therein comprising a base for mounting the spool thereon, said base being contoured to define a socket therein of a size corresponding to a flange of the spool to circumferentially snugly receive the flange in closely spaced relation and to present a substantially smooth continuous surface between the inside surface of the flange and surrounding surfaces of said base about said socket whereby a coil of thread is prevented from becoming trapped between the flange and said base, and

a housing for enclosing the spool in spaced relation mounted on said base.

2. A thread canister as set forth in claim 1 wherein said housing is removably secured to said base.

3. A thread canister for mounting a flanged spool of thread therein comprising a base for mounting the spool thereon, said base being contoured to define a socket therein of a size corresponding to a flange of the spool to circumferentially receive theflange in closely spaced relation and to present a substantially continuous surface between the flange and surrounding surface of said base about said socket whereby a coil of thread is prevented from becoming trapped between the flange and said base, and

a housing for enclosing the spool in spaced relation mounted on said base, said housing being formed of two pieces,;one of said pieces forming the upper portion of said housing and having a thread guide opening in the top for the passage of thread out of said housing, the other of said pieces forming the lower portion of said housing and being integral with said base.

4 A thread canister as set forth in claim 3 wherein said upper piece is frictionally mounted to said lower piece.

5. A thread canister as set forth in claim 1 wherein said base includes an integral upstanding centrally located stud concentric to said socket for positioning within a central bore of the spool to maintain the spool in an upright position.

6. A thread canister for mounting flanged spools of thread therein comprising a housing for enclosing a spool of thread, said housing having a guide opening therein for passage of the t thread out of said housing, and

a base for mounting the spool of thread in fixed upstanding manner within said housing, an integral stud for securing the spool on said base and a pair of con centric sockets formed therein, each said socket being sized to receive a differently sized flanged spool therein in closely spaced relation to present a substantially continuous surface between the received flange and the surrounding surface of said base about said socket receiving the flange.

7.' thread canister as set forth in claim 6 wherein said stud is dimensioned to fixedly secure the spool thereon.

81A thread canister as set forth in claim 6 wherein one of said sockets has a flat floor to facilitate seating of the thread canister on a support surface.

9. A thread canister as set forth in claim 6 wherein said base is removably secured to said housing.

10. A'thread canister as set forth in claim 6 wherein said housing is formed of a lower piece and a removable upper piece and said base is integral with said lower piece.

11. A base for mounting a spool of thread thereon including an upstanding stud for receiving the spool of thread thereon in upstanding manner and at least one socket concentric to said stud for receiving an end of the spool therein in closely spaced relation to present a substantially uninterrupted surface therebetween whereby a loose coil of thread from the spool is prevented from becoming trapped between a received spool and said base.

12.. A base as set forth in claim 10 wherein said stud is integral with said base.

13. A base as set forth in claim 10 having a pair of said sockets, each of said pair of sockets being disposed in a different plane from the other to permit the reception of different sized spools.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,883,039 10/1932 Snyder 242-128 3,249,320 5/1966 Frederick 242l37.1

LEONARD D. CHRISTIAN, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 20659; 242146 

